Chapter 401: Last Time It Was Fine, This Time It

"Just put these on account for now—when I actually come to your place someday, you can settle up then, haha."

"Relax, Old Zhang, what kind of bond do we have? Get back quickly—I know what's going on, and it might not be as bad as you think. Eat, drink, and tell your men not to let slip a word about your connection with me!"

After hearing Zhang Su's words, Zhang Xin felt a wave of relief and hurriedly said, "Yeah yeah, I get it—our squad's solid as iron. Let's leave it at that!"

Saying that, Zhang Xin shut off the radio, slammed his foot on the accelerator, and the vehicle shot southward. He turned to the others in the car: "You all heard that? When we get back, eat, drink, hit the brothels, loosen your belts, and keep your mouths shut—got it?"

"Got it, got it…"

"Understood, Brother Zhang."

After ending the call, Zhang Xin's tension eased slightly, but Zhang Su felt increasingly uneasy—why had only Zhang Xin warned him about such a major incident? Why was Gong Chengming, the one stirring up trouble, completely silent?

Wasn't Gong Chengming supposed to take advantage of the chaos and cause trouble? Zhang Su frowned as he walked into the dining hall, where seven or eight men sat—old comrades who had fought their way out of the city with him—and spoke bluntly.

"Damn it, I just got word—today's attempt to lure the horde toward the Second Ring Road went wrong!"

"Huh?"

"What does that mean, Brother Su…?"

"How so, Mr. Zhang?"

Everyone put down their chopsticks, staring at Zhang Su in confusion—anything he said this seriously must be serious.

"Come on, sit down, eat while I talk!"

Zheng Xinyu placed the reheated food before Zhang Su and urged him to sit.

"I just got word from a source: it's not the first time a horde has appeared north of Qincheng. The Survivors' Alliance leader has had enough and plans to root out the force secretly luring the dead. But this incident today? It's likely aimed straight at us!"

As soon as Zhang Su spoke, the dining hall fell silent. Each face wore a mix of thought and surprise.

"Fuck, who the hell is making us take the blame for this? Kill them!"

Lu Yubo was the first to protest, slamming his chopsticks onto the table with real force.

"Hey now, Lu, why so worked up? The truth isn't out yet—calm down, calm down."

Zhao Dezhu pretended to soothe the agitated Lu Yubo. Lately, he'd been hanging around Yu Wen and had slowly changed—his old impulsiveness had mellowed.

Chen Hanzhou stared thoughtfully at Zhang Su and said, "Brother Su, your source…"

"Right—the same people we met back at the United Village." Zhang Su didn't hide anything; everyone here was core to the core. Information might be delayed, but no one would withhold it.

"Brother Su, I'm not being paranoid, but… can we trust him?"

Chen Hanzhou had never liked Zhang Xin—he thought him a shrewd, unprincipled man.

Zhang Su quickly shoveled a few bites of rice, chewing as he spoke: "He didn't come just to warn me—he told me that if things turn violent, he'll switch sides. That's a preemptive surrender. Honestly, if he's just trying to keep an escape route open, I think he's credible."

Zhang Xin had always wanted to come to Tianma Island, but he found life here too dull. Still, if the Survivors' Alliance faced a life-threatening crisis, he wouldn't hesitate. "Mr. Zhang, I have an opinion."

Yu Wen, who had been silently resting his chin, tapped the table lightly and continued: "To sum up, this situation has three layers: what we know, what Zhang Xin knows, and what Liao Youzhi knows. Liao Youzhi knows the most. Zhang Xin knows part of it—but not fully. By the time the info reaches you, it's been whittled down to almost nothing. But even if it's just rumor, we should prepare for battle, right?"

"Right." Zhang Su nodded. "Exactly. Whether true or false, we must take this seriously. If Zhang Xin suspects this, then Liao Youzhi has clearly shown interest in the north. Our defenses can't be weak. Too bad you've just started training in Ju Shi Martial Arts."

Due to training, the Tianma Island group's combat readiness was currently low. Aside from a few individuals, everyone was sore and weak—likely even rifle accuracy would drop sharply.

"Then let's pause for now… Everyone's still strong in peak condition." Zheng Xinyu proposed seriously. Though her physical fitness was among the best of the women, after yesterday's afternoon training, she was just as exhausted.

Zhang Su nodded: "Of course we pause!"

"Brother Su, can we take the initiative this time?"

Lu Yubo clenched his weak fist, feeling he'd recover seven or eight tenths by tomorrow—fighting wouldn't be a problem.

Zhang Su didn't answer right away—he'd wrestled with the idea himself. He looked around and asked, "What do you all think?"

"Current intel is hearsay. Launching an offensive is too aggressive. Proceed with caution!"

Yu Wen spoke first, without hesitation.

Chen Hanzhou stirred the rice grains in his bowl, frowning: "Attacking based solely on Zhang Xin's word feels reckless."

Wu Lue gave a strange smile, shrugged, and stayed silent—his meaning was clear: he couldn't decide, and would follow orders.

Zhao Dezhu glanced slyly at his father-in-law, then at Lu Yubo, and said with a peculiar expression: "Big Brother, you once led us straight against the Green Dragon Corps. Why not do the same now?"

"Absolute nonsense!"

Yu Wen shot Zhao Dezhu a sharp look: "Last time, we had justification—we marched with righteous morale, everyone knew the target, and we had other advantages. What do we have now?"

Zhao Dezhu shrank under his father-in-law's rebuke. He thought about their current situation—it really wasn't enough justification—and made a face, falling silent.

"Old Yu's right. This isn't like the Green Dragon Corps incident. Little Chen's right too—we can't attack the Survivors' Alliance just because of Zhang Xin's word. They're the largest force in Qincheng now. Could this be sabotage by enemies trying to sow discord?"

"Even if we assume everything Zhang Xin said is true, we still can't march on Qincheng right now! Think back—why was I bold enough to lead you against the Green Dragon Corps? Because it was a defensive counterattack. We had captured soldiers to provide intel, and a convoy for cover. What do we have now?"

As he spoke, Zhang Su remembered Gong Chengming again—he really wanted to contact him, but had no chance.

"Yes, I agree with Brother Su. Whether true or false, if we storm the city rashly, we'll be at a disadvantage—and might walk straight into their trap!"

Zheng Xinyu nodded seriously in agreement with Zhang Su.

Lu Yubo's expression was flat. He wanted to say: aren't we holding that inexplicably explosive liquid and the killing machine Zero Zero Three? …

But seeing everyone opposed him, he awkwardly laughed and waved his hand: "I was just throwing out an idea—you don't have to take it seriously, hehe…"

He quickly buried his face in his food, finally remembering—he was just a warrior, not meant to weigh in on strategy.

(End of Chapter)